Heather & Rod's Amazing (& Not So Amazing) New Zealand Adventures

Chapter 2 ..... I had a wonderful time in Athens. It is one of the most incredible places. Excavations of folks that lived there in 3000 BC. That's further on that side of Christ than this one! It's just incredible how all these massive stone structures were built so long ago. Ok, most of these were built around 2000 years ago, but what's a few years when you're talking thousands. And so amazing still.The Greeks just ooze sexuality and indigance, a marvelous combination that results in a very interesting culture. The food was fantastic and, of course, with Ouzo to finish everything off, you always go to bed happy!So, after a day and a half in Athens, it's off to Crete for the conference. It's only a 50 min flight from Athens to Crete. I'm feeling pretty confident in retracing the steps BACK to the airport...45 min later, all good. The flight to Crete was smooth, with the most amazing views over the Mediterranean coming into Heraklion, the major city o

It's All Greek To Me Ok...Rod here. Please bear with me, as I don't have all the blogging experience that Heather has. But, she tells me that my recent experiences in the ancient world of Greece deserve a mention. so, here goes... I am currently on one of my round-the-world business jaunts. You know, the crazy 18 countries and as many hotels in 20 days. Everyone usually calls them 'holidays,' but those who've never done one can be very naive! Part of this trip has sent me to the wonderful country of Greece...the island of Crete to be exact for an international conference in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Before you start thinking how rough I have it, I can tell you that putting such a conference in such a place is torture. Imagine the most beautiful setting on the Mediterranean Sea at a posh resort for 3 days, and all you get to do is sit inside window-less, air conditioned rooms listening to Ag & Bio Engr papers. Stupid really... Anyway, that&

Some friends – Tye and Char – who are from California, recently came for a visit. It was so great to have them here. Since it was their first time in New Zealand, we wanted to cram all the fun stuff they could possibly do into their 10 days! We went to the beach, visited geothermal sites, took them fishing, and pointed them toward every touristy option they could squeeze in. Their last day in New Zealand was a Saturday and we aimed to send them off with a ‘big bang.’ We had to ‘Kiwi-ise’ them in a monstrous way! So, first, we dropped them off at the famous Glow worm Caves. These are caves you walk through and then get on a boat in a very dark underwater cavern where these glow worms dangle from the ceiling. They glow in eerie silence. It’s way cool. We met them on their way out of the caves anticipating their delight at the natural wonder . .. . however their only comment was about a 20 inch trout they saw toward the end of the trip. Hmmmm, I was wondering . . … perhaps they were unimp

Yes, the car service saga continued into the New Year. It’s now a month past our driving holiday – six weeks past the date I first noticed the service was drastically overdue - and still no signs of Rod making any moves to schedule a service appointment. Meanwhile, the kilometers are ticking up on the odometer at an alarming rate…. My parents were visiting and we all happened to be driving together in the car when I decided to ‘out’ Rod to my father. Now, you have to understand, I come from a family of men who were – and are – EXTREMELY particular about their cars. They are especially particular about ensuring the engine is serviced regularly. If the car manufacturer recommends an oil change at 5000 miles, my grandfather and father would get the oil changed at 2500 miles. That’s just the way things have always been done in the family – until Rod the Rebel joined us, that is. So, yeah, I thought I’d ‘out’ him. Doing so would hopefully teach him a lesson and would also be kinda funn

If you asked me to name the reasons why I love Rod, one of the main ones is he takes care of me. He knows how to fix stuff around the house. . . he takes out the garbage . . . . he does handy things. I love that! I’m not a weak woman, but I do like that he can do these ‘manly’ things. There’s not much that Rod can’t do actually (I still have this teenage infectious ‘love thing’ where I do think he’s great at everything!), but recent events have clearly demonstrated that anything automotive does go on the list of ‘things Rod CAN’T do for me.’ It was a real blow, actually. I’m still recovering mentally. Picture this . . .we are getting ready for a long holiday. The holiday will involve a lot of driving for many kilometers into areas of the country where mechanics and petrol (gas, Americans) stations are few and far between. Three days before the trip, I glance up at the windscreen and see that Rod’s next service on his vehicle is due at 15,000 kilometers. Another glance to the od

No, it’s not quite over yet. . . . one more celebrity story… Fast-forward to March. I am having a casual stroll on the beach when in front of me is a man with his golden retriever. The dog is fetching a stick. As I near this guy, something looks vaguely familiar. Finally, it clicks. This is the host of the New Zealand version of the television game show, ‘Deal or No Deal!’ I had heard the rumours from the locals that he had a place in Matarangi. As I approach him from behind, he slowed up considerably. I decided I’d wanted to follow him and see where his bach (beach house, Americans) was located. Perhaps, by chance, we might be neighbours and didn’t even know it!? So, now I must find a reason to slow up as well so that I continue in a following mode. I stop and look out to the horizon, feigning a love for the beauty of the sea. . . . . I look down and begin an bit of eager shell seeking. . . . . all the while nonchalantly glancing along the beach to see if my Deal or No Deal fri

Forgive me for my absence from the blog. I’ve been on a blogaday . . . that’s a ‘blog holiday!’ But, baby I’m back! So, where was I? Right, celebrity spotting at Matarangi. WELL, so, if you’ll remember waaaaay back to Christmas and my spotting of Phil Keogan, the host of The Amazing Race . . . . The very next day I saw him again. And, if I was one to be prone to paranoid delusions of being stalked, I may have thought he was following me! The next morning after having dinner with Phil (delusional, huh, what?), Rod and I set out for the big city of Whitianga for holiday supplies (okay, it’s a small village, but it has a supermarket). We met some friends at our favourite café. There I was, in mid-bite of my eggs Benedict when who walks into the café? PHIL! He’s unshaven, baseball cap backwards, an old t-shirt and jeans. He’s carrying a paper sack from the pharmacy next door (which was in a suspicious shape of L’Oreal hair dye) and gets in the queue (in line, you Americans) to order